An expanding specialist manufacturing firm has relocated to a new 20,000 sq ft factory and head office in Keighley.

Autoclaves Group, which produces new and refurbished autoclaves and ovens, has made the £200,000 investment to enable expansion and diversification of the business.

It has taken over a site in Worth Way originally built for textile manufacturing and more recently owned by a crane maker.

The company has completely renovated the administrative hub of the premises, allowing it to further develop and grow its office-based operations.

In addition, the factory has been refurbished and fitted out with new machinery and equipment, with the layout designed to give logical and effective product flow throughout all manufacturing processes. Autoclaves Group was established in 1999 in Sandbeds, later relocating to larger premises in Bingley. Further growth caused a move to the new Keighley headquarters.

Autoclaves Group’s core areas of business activity are centred on the motorsport and aerospace industries, with components used on Formula One racing cars, rally cars and jets.

More recently, the group has diversified into the investment casting, rubber curing, glass laminating, industrial sterilising and environmental autoclaves business, coupled with inroads into the industrial ovens marketplace.

Managing director Russell Gibson said: “Despite the current economic climate, we continue to go from strength to strength.

“The investment in this new facility allows us to continue to develop and expand our range of products in a growing number of industry sectors and applications.

“At the same time, it gives us the flexibility to build much larger systems in-house than was previously possible.

“We have achieved significant year-on-year growth in turnover over the past five years and our expanding customer portfolio now covers the whole of the UK and many parts of Europe. We feel we now have the potential to develop a global footprint.”